An expectation problem:

A list of 1000 zeroes is created called M. A random number is picked from 1 to 1000. Each time one of these is picked, the zero in the list ( at that index ) is changed to a 1. For instance if the random number is 276 then M[276]=1. What is the average number of random numbers that must be picked to have 200 ones in the list?

Re: An expectation problem:

Hi Bobby,

The Olympic Games have got my attention for now but I thought I'd post this LB attempt anyway. It's a bit scratchy, but it works...so I'm happy enough.

Some better coder would be able to improve its efficiency and speed (the 10000 cycles took just under an hour!). Compared with yours and gAr's solutions, mine seems to be stuck way back in the Dark Ages!

Results: My test run of 10000 cycles yielded an average of 223 picks per cycle.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

What is the actual number, again?

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

And in the decimal form?

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

I ran the simulation once again and got the same number as before.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

Changed my code a little, but now it always gives output less then, but close to the actual answer. Haven't gotten a number over 223 with the new code.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

One was something aroung 222.8 and another one was around 222.9. Let me get the actual figures.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

I will add a few more values in a minute.

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

Did you see the edited post 19?

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: An expectation problem:

Standard deviation?

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.